What is the 'morning shed'? Trend encourages elaborate nightly skincare routine

In a TikTok video that has garnered more than 2.6 million views, Kristina Dmytrenko removes layer after layer of beauty product from her face as part of a viral skincare trend known as the "morning shed."

The trend, which gained traction on TikTok last summer, features content creators − typically young women − removing a variety of skincare products, like face masks, mouth tape, hair bonnets and chin straps, to reveal glowing skin and flawless hair after a night's sleep. Creators "shed" these products off in the morning − hence the name.

The trend rides the wave of the prevalence of multi-step skincare routines, which have become increasingly popular over the past decade, especially among girls and young women. In these routines, several skincare products are used to cleanse, exfoliate, moisturize and tone the face. The result? Radiant skin − at least as far as content creators are concerned.

The idea, Dmytrenko and many other creators said, is "the uglier you go to sleep, the prettier you wake up."

But not all agree.

Beauty writer and critic Jessica DeFino said she finds the trend "really sad," feeling like it is a "real encroachment on the dream space, the relaxation space."

To dive in, here's why some people are taking part in the "morning shed" and why others wish to stay away.

Why are women 'shedding'?

Dmytrenko, 28, said she began "morning shedding" after learning about the routine last year.

"Seeing girls wake up with the most glowy skin made me want to give it a try," she said. "I decided to do the morning shed because lathering my face in products, then just going to sleep and letting the products work while I sleep seemed a lot more efficient that sitting around, waiting for the products to work while I was awake."

USA TODAY video producer Kendall Malinchock also has a morning shed routine. She said initially, she thought adding more products to a nightly skincare routine seemed silly, but once she saw the results, she was convinced.

Malinchock commits to a full morning shed two to three times a week, as it takes her about 20 minutes to put blowout rollers in her hair, secured with a silk bonnet; apply an overnight facemask and mouth tape; rub castor oil on her stomach; add a foot mask with fuzzy socks; and finally, put on a silk eye mask.

"I truly view it as a way to destress and take a moment for myself to wind down from the long day," Malinchock said. "I find that this nighttime routine of prep actually helps my body's internal clock know that it's about time to go to sleep."

DeFino, on the other hand, finds the "morning shed" to be a continuation of societal beauty standards placed on women and gender non-conforming people.

"Not even when you're asleep can you forget about all the societal pressures and meeting a particular standard of beauty," she said. "Even during this time when you're not conscious you have to take pains and precautions before you slip away into unconsciousness to make sure you're maximizing and optimizing that time so that you wake up as beautiful as possible."

What products are typically a part of a 'morning shed' routine?

Though a morning shed differs per person, there tend to be a few commonly used products: face masks, mouth tape, hair curlers and bonnets, eye masks and chin straps.

Mouth tape is a skin-safe tape that is placed over the mouth to prevent mouth breathing during sleep. While it has not been proven to help a specific health issue, there are benefits of nose breathing. Breathing through the nose filters allergens and debris, unlike the mouth, and it makes the air one breathes more humid, keeping the throat moist, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Malinchock said she uses The Skinny Confidential's mouth tape. The tape is made from rayon and spandex to stretch over the mouth. The tape also features a small slit in the middle, allowing wearers to breathe slightly through their mouths, if necessary.

But mouth tape isn't for everyone. People who are sick, have consumed alcohol, are obese, deal with heart or lung problems or have sleep apnea should not use mouth tape, according to WebMD.

Another popular morning shed item is a chin strap, which claims to prevent mouth breathing. A stretchy strap is placed over the entire head, fitting under and over the chin, around the ears and over the top of the head, holding the jaw in place. Like mouth tape, chin straps have not been proven to aid any specific health conditions.

DeFino said she has never tried a morning shed and doesn't plan to. As for her nightly skincare routine, she washes her face with jojoba oil, which can sooth skin and unclog hair follicles, and manuka honey, an anti-inflammatory.

"Then I leave it completely bare when I go to sleep," she said.

What happens to our skin when we sleep?

The science of skin and sleep is "so incredible," DeFino said.

"When you're sleeping, your skin goes out of defense mode. When you're walking around all day, the skin is constantly bombarded with outside aggressors, whether that's sunlight, pollution, just all of the things around us. I'd even say our cosmetic chemicals are a part of that bombardment," she said. "When you go into bed, the skin enters into this regeneration mode. It takes time off from those defenses it's had throughout the day and it really starts to regenerate, repair."

According to Healthline, during sleep, the skin's blood flow increases and the organ rebuilds its collagen (the building block protein for skin, muscles and bones) and repairs damage from the aggressors DeFino mentioned.

Multi-step skincare routines. DeFino said, are "nonsensical."

"The application of all of these over-the-top necessary products is damaging our skin barrier," DeFino said. "We can even see that reflected in the skin barrier boom in the skincare industry. We've all really damaged our faces and now the industry that has been responsible for this damage is swooping in and saying, 'No, just add a barrier repair cream.'"

The skin barrier is the dead, outer layer of skin which protects the living skin underneath. Though its often likened to a brick wall, the skin barrier can be damaged, leaving our living skin vulnerable. Different aggressors can damage a person's skin barrier, including harsh chemicals and soaps and strong exfoliates, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

What kind of skincare should we be using?

Though an across-the-board recommendation can't really be shared because everyone's skin has different needs, Cleveland Clinic Dermatologist Melissa Piliang recommends a few key steps that can work for anyone.

First, use a mild, soap-free cleanser with warm water. Soap may sound like a good thing, Piliang wrote for the Cleveland Clinic, but it can actually damage the skin barrier. And avoid over cleansing.

Different beauty trends over the years have encouraged people to wash their face for 60 seconds to ensure the products are soaked in completely, but this isn't necessary.

Piliang wrote that the best way to cleanse the face is to massage in the cleanser and then immediately wash it off. There's no benefit to leaving it on longer, she said.

Finally, Piliang encouraged for people to keep their skin moisturized and wear sunscreen to help protect the skin barrier even further.

Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Morning shed: Trend encourages elaborate nightly skincare routine